Travel...What a Word
by Steph Payne

 

Travel--what a word, I've always wanted to. I love hotels. I love seeing new places. I HATE planes. I am scared of them--no, it wasn't September 11, 2001--it has been a fear since I can remember. Yet, I want to go see Europe, all of it; Asia, most of it (Africa and S. America not so much). I've been to Europe and Asia. The latter was my first trip abroad, Turkey (no, and it's nothing like Midnight Express). Nine hours on a plane; I slept for maybe 2 hours even with a bunch a free wine and some muscle relaxers. You see, when the plane goes down I will be the one to let everyone else know...that's my job. What other job does a control freak have when they are 30,000+ miles in the air? So, I stay alert, I watch those "this is where you are screens" like they are a god. I stay awake. If any of the professionals on the plane fails, I'll be there.

I remember early in the morning, groggy with lack of sleep, looking at the monitor that represented our plane flying over Hungary. Fear still intact, I raised up the window blind, too eager to see Europe for the first time than give into my fears. I remember the mostly Turkish passengers clapping as we FINALLY landed at Ataturk International Airport. I remember clapping myself, a modern expression of thanking the gods, or the pilots, take it as you will.

Six years later I was on another flight to Europe, this time Germany. Again, no sleep. This time there were many stops: Austin to Chicago, Chicago to Heathrow, Heathrow to Munich. But it wasn't so easy. Our plane was late leaving Chicago, was late arriving in Heathrow. Again, I did not sleep, again I was the unneeded watchguard. We arrived at Heathrow 35 minutes before our connecting flight...we missed it, of course. Re-ticketed, we flew from London to Dusseldorf. Our plane was late leaving London, so we missed our connecting flight in Dusseldorf. Between three Americans, two of which had reading knowledge of German, we got re-ticketed, once again, and finally landed in our destination--Munich.

I had been on a plane, and stuck in airports since 10 a.m. the previous day. I had not slept (not even closed my eyes). I was tired, smelly, and a nervous wreck. Yet, as we went to land in Munich, I pulled up the window blind and below me I saw greens and yellows like I have never seen before--springtime in Germany. I was immediately entranced, and in love, with the country. The juxtaposition of green in various shades and the vibrant yellow, of what I would later learn were mustard fields, was reward enough for the plane trip!

I could write volumes on a country I considered going to, but never really thought I would. It reminded me of Pennsylvania, but better. It made me feel like I was home, although I don't know why. It made me realize that I love sausage and sauerkraut and GOOD beer. My group and I went to a ridiculous amount of cities in two weeks and saw a good part of southern Germany. On our way from Ulm to Freiburg in Breisgau, through the Back Forest, we saw snow...it was May 31st! Snow!

Planes are planes...the most uncomfortable way of traveling, the most inane in some ways. But, bite the bullet and see what you can see. It puts your life into context; it makes you realize how similar we are, how different we are...it makes you trust humanity again.